Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...

Of þe fiftene pointes of cursing.

Now forto tell here next es hede Line 29268 When men er cursed and for what dede, þat men may swilk dedes forbere And so out of cursing þam were; And fiftene pointes þare er to schew, Als I sall rekin þam on [[MS. has or]] raw. First on þam þis cursing takes, [j] þat sustenes or þaire seluyn makes Line 29275 Fals trowth ogains cristen state, Or helpis þato if þai wate. Þat oþer es he þat will noght bow [ij] To þe pape of rome no to him trow, Line 29279 þat crist has here in irthe leuyd þe hele of cristendom and heuyd. Þe thrid who smytes prest or clerk [iij] Or any þat beres cristes merk, Line 29283 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

Both er þai cursed þat it do, Line 29286 And þai þat kounsail gifes þar-to; Bot if it be in cases of nede [folio 72b:1] Whilk þat I sall efter rede. Þe firth es who so hath laght [iiij] Line 29290 Fro haly kirk anykins aght, And es þarfore amonest thrise, And nowþir bringes it no þe prise; Ne makes no mendes by gude gownsayl, Thurgh scrift þat may him mekill avail. Þe fift es of men þat kirkes brins [v] Or wikkedly within it syns, Line 29297 Als brekand rode or auter stane, Or howsill reft or els manslane, Or done þarin any synful dede, Wharfore it has of halowing nede. Þe sext poynt on þa men rins, [vj] Line 29302 þat helpes till iews or sarzins Ogayns any cristen men If þat þai þaire lifing ken. Þe seuynd es of fals bulleres [vij] Line 29306 þat þam makes and þam furth beres, Or els þat falses þe papes sele, Or witandly with slike will dele. þe aght case falles all þa in [viij] þat any witchecraft gers bigyn, Line 29311 And namely with any halowd thing Als with howsill or with crisyming. þe nighend case on all þa lies [ix] þat gastly gudes selles or byes, Line 29315 Whilk haly kirk es harmed by, And þis syn es namyd symony. Þe tend case es of okirrers [x] þat opynly vses slike misters, Line 29319 þat leues þe les to tak þe mare, Owþer of siluer or of chaffare.

Þe elleuynd poynt opon þam lendes, [xj] þat witandly with-haldes tendes, Or falsly tendes by night or day, For goddes frendes ne er noght þai. Þe twelft case er þai þat wirk [xij] Line 29326 Ogayns þe law of haly kirk, Or if þai owþer haue done or spokin, Thing þat þe fredom has brokin. Þe thritend case þat will vs ken [xiij] Line 29330 To comun with no cursed men, For he þat comuns with cursed man, And knawes þareof, es cursed þan, . . . . . Line 29334 . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Bot it fall omang cases elleuyn Whilk I sall sone efter neuyn. [folio 72b:2] þe fourtend point als Raymund sais [xiiij] Line 29338 Er þai þat pouer men ouerlays, Or robbes or reues on ani side, Whare pese and quiet suld bityde. Comun hores and comun scalde, Al þir er for cursed talde. Line 29343 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þe fiftend case es þis allane, [xv] He þat in turnament es tane, Line 29347 For he in þat tyme slas him-selue In kirk-garth sall men noght him delue, Ne none þat dies in swilk a chance, Haue he neuer so grete repentance. And þis same case er þa men in, Line 29352 þat ligges in opin dedly syn, Both body and sawl all þir bese schent, Bot þai in þis life þam repent. Line 29355